Personal experience with having slides and no slides?

[Cheryl_B]

I thought this would be a topic that had been discussed ad nauseam but after searching the forum with a fine tooth comb, I couldn't find any threads talking about slides as far as personal experiences.

I have been living in an old Class C for over 3 years now and I've been saving for a newer rig with slides. But you know how it is. You talk to someone just in passing and you say you want something with slides this next time and they start telling you all the stuff that could go wrong.

I just want to hear from people who have gone from a vehicle with no slides and moved to one with slides (or vice versa) and get your opinions. I'm a single older woman and I don't want added stress but I fulltime and I'd love to live in something that doesn't feel like a hallway for a change.

Thank you in advance.

[ppine]

I have had two TT with slides and one without. The extra room is noticeable especially in the main living area. It makes a long narrow space seem more like a room. Adds a lot of floor space for our 3 dogs.

Each slide adds about 400 pounds depending on the size. Sometimes they don't want to slide or you run out of juice. Best to have a gen and/or solar panel and know how to manually close them.

Some things like the radio and CD player or a pantry can be hard to reach when then are closed.

All in all, I really like having one decent sized slide.

[jplante4]

When we were looking, we concentrated on simplicity. We only looked at coaches with ample room without going to slides. I believed the "more things to break" crowd.

Working part time at a parts store at an RV service center, I see lots of things that break. Refrigerators, air conditioners, leveling jacks. In the 2 years I've been there, I only remember ordering parts for a single slide out repair. I think we sold 30 AC units this summer, most of them to replace 2-5 year old units.

[Dutch_12078]

Lack of full access with the slide retracted was a deal breaker for us when we were deciding on our first RV with a slide. Our current unit meets that requirement with only the loss of access to one 120-volt outlet with the slide in. All cabinets are accessible as is the bed, bathroom, and kitchen. In extra cold or snowy weather, it's common that we'll go at least a few days with the slide retracted as we head towards warmer weather.

[tomman58]

The last 2 TTs had opposing slides in the living area. One slide had a loveseat, frig, stoves and storage cabinets. The other had 2 lazyboys and the dinette table. When closed we can still access the stove micro and frig and the table. This is a set up from the past. Once deployed the living room is like in a home with TV and fireplace on one end. One thing about our trailer I think it has larger and wider slides than a MH. We use our TT 6 or months of the year so we live in it. We don't do weekends because we don't have to anymore.

[TomG2]

It also matters if you are traveler or a parker. Slides are great for the sitters but might slow down the runners a little.

[Cheryl_B]

That's a good point about the loss of cabinets in the length of the slide outs. I hadn't thought of that before, but I think it would still be good to have all that room inside.

I notice those units where the slide blocks the refrigerator or microwave when it's retracted and I immediately cross those off the list. I don't like the slides that have the refrigerator or oven or something IN the slide-out. That just looks like trouble.

Yes, it's really important to be able to walk through the unit with the slides in. That's what bothers me about those big kitchens with the islands. Seems like you get a ton of extra counter space but with the slide in, you'd have to really "suck it in" to get through there.

[pinesman]

I have had two travel trailers without slides and three 5th wheels with slides. I definitely love the added room of the slides but the most important aspect to me is being able use what you need without opening the slides so truck stops and rest areas are an option if necessary.

[schlep1967]

I'm in the "will have slides on all future RV's" camp. That said, when you find a trailer you like on the lot, have the salesman put the slides in. Then go in and see if you can get to things you may need on the road. Our current unit we can get into the fridge, the bathroom and onto the bed. This comes in handy if you decide to overnight at a truck stop or in an area with little space. If you will never overnight in those places access to the bed really doesn't matter. To us access to the bathroom and the fridge are very important if we are traveling long distance in unfamiliar territory. It's not always easy to get into a restaurant parking lot with 38 foot of trailer behind you. But if I happen to be able to pull over on the shoulder for 5 minutes we can relieve ourselves and grab drinks and sandwiches from the fridge. Also, slide toppers keep the water and debris off and help keep the trailer cooler when in a sunny site.

[memtb]

When we first started RV’ing, we had no slides, thought that slides were frivolous. Then in ‘93 got our first 5er (1990 Model) with slides......decided that they were great. Our next phase was thinking that a bedroom slide was unnecessary, fast forward to 2003....got a (1995) with the bedroom slide. Didn’t really want the bedroom slide, but it was the 5er we wanted. Mind boggling how much “comfort” room it added to the bedroom. Short story......love them and would be difficult to go “back in time”!

The primary qualifier is.......slide mechanism quality. Just like RV’s there are some brands that use better grade/quality components. If you follow these RV forums, you will quickly observe that there are “far too many” slide issues.

The ball is in your court! Do your homework, and get the best quality RV within your budget, and likely....you’ll get the best quality slide mechanism within your budget. There is a reason that we’ve never bought new....we couldn’t justify nor afford an RV that cost more than our home!

On our little Class C, we have the dinning area slide. We don’t use it often, but, much like the bedroom slide in the 5er.....it’s amazing how much room you gain with a small slide-out! memtb

[AJR]

OP, you need to find a class C just like I have now. Just kidding, sort of.

I did no slides on two TTs. Then three slides on a class A. Followed by a no slide class C. With the class A I noticed one day I could see the ground outside by chance when a slide was extended. Not something you want to see. So back to a class C with no slides on a Ford chassis. Hated the noise of the V10 and the ride in windy conditions or trucks passing.

So an ad for a 29’ (more like 30’) class C with a slide comes along with a slide on a Chevy chassis. I am a Ford guy. But it has a 60x80 queen off set, a large walk in shower (no 10” step up), four feet of usable counter space across from the fridge with the slide in, lots of outside storage in the back, and a marvelous entertainment center in the cab over I still have no clue how to use. But has lots of storage behind it & the TV.

So I drove it to my mechanic for a drive train inspection (120 miles round trip) and fell in love with how it handled on the road with big trucks and cross winds.

Oh things had to be fixed before purchase. But I never use the slide traveling. Some cabinet space is lost. But I have worked around that. I do use the slide when winterizing (need to get to the water heater) or when the kids are using it when visiting me.

So it all goes back to floor plan and what works for you.

[spoon059]

Our first camper had no slide, it was fine. We now have 3 kids. We have one big slide and a lot more room. I wouldn't go back to a non-slide now. Being able to all sit inside in comfort when it rains, priceless. Being able to walk past each other to get from one end to the other, priceless.

Yes, there is minimal additional maintenance (lube the slide mechanism and the seals), and the additional cost *IF* it breaks... but it is worth the minimal risk. 20 years ago maybe slides were problematic, but they appear pretty straightforward now.

[Powertour]

I've owned both types & currently own one without again. If you need the room then you need the room. That's for you to decide.

Did I have some issues with the 5ver I had with multi slides, yes. None of them were catastrophic, more like pains in the rear end.

We have a Class C now & decided no slide out version. Two reasons we wanted that right now. Desired less stuff to potentially break in the event we want to loan the thing to one of our kids to use &/or ever decided to rent it out. The second reason was/is that we wanted to be able to fly lower under the radar when parked overnight at non-campgrounds.... which we plan to do periodically in our travels.

[kellem]

The wife and I have been avid campers for over 35 years and would not even consider a trailer without a slide.
We've been fortunate to not experience an issue..

What sold us was a rainy weekend back in the 80's with young children and the constant echo of " excuse me " " coming through ". Lol
Funny but true.

[Cheryl_B]

Thank you all! I've loved reading each of your posts and I hope more people will chime in. I believe for me and my situation, slides are a must. I've just heard about problems with drafts or water leaks and stuff but I've been around long enough to know that no matter what you say you want to do, there will be a bevy of people who will raise concerns about it. I guess it's human nature.

I'm going to keep searching for the right travel trailer that has 2 slides. That will do me just fine.

But keep posting! Can't wait to read what everyone has to say on the matter.